Current Affairs Comments: Paris Brown

   As the title of this post suggests, this post will be my own views on the current affairs/news of Paris Brown. (No, Paris Brown isn't a newly discovered Paris Hilton tape! (Oh look, I'm a comedian and didn't know it!))

   If you haven't been keeping up with the news lately other than the big stories, you may want to get up to speed by reading the following link before proceeding: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-22057246 & http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22231653

   But if you don't have time, basically "Paris Brown 17, was appointed (3rd April) to work alongside Kent's Independent PCC Ann Barnes".

   The Mail on Sunday (6th April) "reported Paris boasted about her sex life, drug taking and drinking on her account @vilulabelle on the social networking website." and that "Tweets which could be considered racist and homophobic."
   And the Tweets were "posted between the ages of 14 and 16, and had been "misinterpreted".
   She stood down on 9th April and on 11th April she surrendered her mobile phone to Kent Special Branch for examination. Her mobile phone was then returned on 14th April, but as part of this she was interviewed under caution at a Kent police station following 50 complaints from the general public.

   RIght, so from either reading the above linked article or summary you've probably made up your mind with regards to whether Paris Brown is in the wrong or not. I agree, on one hand she is in the wrong. Because no matter what age you are, racist and homophobic statements do not belong in any society. Neither do comments about your sex life, drug taking and drinking between the ages of 14 - 16, no matter if that's the "ideal" age to experiment etc.

   But on the other hand, those Tweets were posted when she was 14 - 16 (and here's where I'm going to contradict myself) and she couldn't possibly known she was going to apply for or get appointed to work along side a PCC. And therefore in my opinion now that she is undergoing investigation by Kent police/Special Branch I say this has all been blown out of proportion. I mean, there are probably hundreds, maybe thousands if not millions of other people using the internet and making racist or homophobic comments on blogs/forums/social networking sites/etc and yet none of them are under going questioning.
   Because surely if Paris Brown hadn't been appointment to work along side Kent's PCC of if the Mail on Sunday paid someone to sit down and look through all of her Tweets, then her Tweets wouldn't now be in the public knowledge.

   For example The Mail on Sunday could have instead employed the so called reporter to instead write a report about the mass scale racist or homophobic blogs/forums/social networking sites/etc there are and report these to the police. Instead of singling out and targeting a 17 year old girl. I mean, surely they would have learnt after singling our and targeting Lucy Meadows (http://web.archive.org/web/20121221195332/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2251347/Nathan-Uptons-wrong-body--hes-wrong-job.html) Yes, I know these two stories and the outcomes of each are completely different. But keep reading. Hmm, actually I'm seeing a link here between the Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday singling out and targeting people. Also it's well documented that Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday employ trolls, take Samantha Brick for example (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2124782/Samantha-Brick-says-backlash-bile-yesterdays-Daily-Mail-proves-shes-right.html) & (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2310797/Samantha-Brick-Joan-Collins-right-Any-woman-wants-stay-beautiful-needs-diet-day.html).

   Back to the topic at hand though! I find it thoroughly disappointing how free speech doesn't exist anymore online or off. Let me reiterate that, as I've said before racist and homophobic views should never be acceptable. But with regards to Paris Brown's comments regarding her sex life, drug taking and drinking between the ages of 14 - 16, that was all then. This is now, she clearly tried to made amends to what she had done or said by applying to assist Kent's PCC with issues regarding the youth of Kent. And her life experiences would have surely helped that. No matter if you think being 17 years old is enough life experience or not.
   As I personally would want the youth of anywhere to be spoken to by a 17 year old who had recently been drug taking, drinking and discovering sex. Rather than a say... 55 year old wo/man who went though the typical teenage stuff but has been clean from drugs, not touched a drop of alcohol and celibate for the last 39 years or so.

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   But another issue to this story is that you can never be too careful online or even in this day and age. Who knows, perhaps this very post will come and bite me in the ass in the future for all that I've said above? Simply for voicing my opinions.
   Because remember, governments don't want you to have opinions of your own. Because when you do and others start to catch on and agree or form their own opinions then governments are losing. And they don't want that
   Especially if they ever what to try and control or censorship what's online.